Stent springs and stents for repairing pipes

ABSTRACT

Example aspects of a stent spring for repairing a pipe and a method for retaining a stent in a compressed configuration is disclosed. The stent spring for repairing a pipe can comprise a substantially tubular mesh structure defining a void, the void defining a central axis, the mesh structure comprising one or more strands, the one or more strands defining a plurality of openings, wherein the stent spring is configurable in an expanded stent spring configuration and a compressed stent spring configuration; and a tab extending radially inward from the mesh structure into the void, the tab defining a tab opening.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application claims the benefit of U.S. ProvisionalApplication No. 62/807,264, filed Feb. 19, 2019, and U.S. ProvisionalApplication No. 62/834,168, filed Apr. 15, 2019, which are both herebyspecifically incorporated by reference herein in their entireties.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This disclosure relates to the field of pipe repair. More specifically,this disclosure relates to stent springs and stents for repairing apipe.

BACKGROUND

Piping systems, including municipal water systems, can develop breaks inpipe walls that can cause leaking. Example of breaks in a pipe wall caninclude radial cracks, axial cracks, point cracks, etc. Repairing abreak in a pipe wall often requires the piping system to be shut off,which can be inconvenient for customers and costly for providers.Further, repairs can necessitate grandiose construction, including thedigging up of streets, sidewalks, and the like, which can be costly andtime-consuming.

SUMMARY

It is to be understood that this summary is not an extensive overview ofthe disclosure. This summary is exemplary and not restrictive, and it isintended neither to identify key or critical elements of the disclosurenor delineate the scope thereof. The sole purpose of this summary is toexplain and exemplify certain concepts off the disclosure as anintroduction to the following complete and extensive detaileddescription.

Disclosed in a stent spring for repairing a pipe can comprising asubstantially tubular mesh structure defining a void, the void defininga central axis, the mesh structure comprising one or more strands, theone or more strands defining a plurality of openings, wherein the stentspring is configurable in an expanded stent spring configuration and acompressed stent spring configuration; and a tab extending radiallyinward from the mesh structure into the void, the tab defining a tabopening.

Also disclosed is a stent spring for repairing a pipe comprising asubstantially tubular mesh structure comprising one or more strands, theone or more strands comprising a spring material, wherein the stentspring is expandable and compressible between an expanded stent springconfiguration and a compressed stent spring configuration; and anelastic wire connected to the one or more strands, the elastic wireconfigured to increase a flexibility of the stent spring.

A method for retaining a stent in a compressed configuration is alsodisclosed, the method comprising providing a stent, the stent comprisinga stent spring, a seal, and a tab extending radially inward from thestent spring; biasing the stent to a compressed configuration; andengaging the tab with a compression mechanism to retain the stent in thecompressed configuration.

Various implementations described in the present disclosure may includeadditional systems, methods, features, and advantages, which may notnecessarily be expressly disclosed herein but will be apparent to one ofordinary skill in the art upon examination of the following detaileddescription and accompanying drawings. It is intended that all suchsystems, methods, features, and advantages be included within thepresent disclosure and protected by the accompanying claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The features and components of the following figures are illustrated toemphasize the general principles of the present disclosure.Corresponding features and components throughout the figures may bedesignated by matching reference characters for the sake of consistencyand clarity.

FIG. 1A is a top perspective view of a stent, in accordance with oneaspect of the present disclosure, comprising a stent spring and a seal.

FIG. 1B is a top perspective view of the stent spring of FIG. 1A.

FIG. 2 is a top perspective view of the stent spring, in accordance withanother aspect of the present disclosure.

FIG. 3 is a top perspective view of the stent spring, in accordance withanother aspect of the present disclosure.

FIG. 4A is a perspective view of the stent spring, in accordance withanother aspect of the present disclosure, wherein the stent spring is ina rolled configuration.

FIG. 4B is perspective view of the stent spring of FIG. 4A, wherein thestent spring is in an unrolled configuration.

FIG. 5A is a bottom perspective view of the stent spring, in accordancewith another aspect of the present disclosure, in the rolledconfiguration.

FIG. 5B is perspective view of the stent spring of FIG. 5A in theunrolled configuration.

FIG. 6A is a top perspective view of the stent spring, in accordancewith another aspect of the present disclosure, in the rolledconfiguration.

FIG. 6B is perspective view of the stent spring of FIG. 6A in theunrolled configuration.

FIG. 7A is a top perspective view of the stent spring, in accordancewith another aspect of the present disclosure, in the rolledconfiguration.

FIG. 7B is perspective view of the stent spring of FIG. 7A in theunrolled configuration.

FIG. 8A is a top perspective view of the stent spring, in accordancewith another aspect of the present disclosure, in the rolledconfiguration.

FIG. 8B is front view of the stent spring of FIG. 8A in the unrolledconfiguration.

FIG. 9A is a top perspective view of the stent spring, in accordancewith another aspect of the present disclosure, in the rolledconfiguration.

FIG. 9B is perspective view of the stent spring of FIG. 9A in theunrolled configuration.

FIG. 10 is a top perspective view of the stent spring, in accordancewith another aspect of the present disclosure.

FIG. 11 is a top perspective view of the stent spring, according toanother aspect of the present disclosure.

FIG. 12 is a top perspective view of the stent spring in the rolledconfiguration, according to another aspect of the present disclosure.

FIG. 13 is a top view of the stent spring of FIG. 12.

FIG. 14 is a perspective view of the stent spring of FIG. 12 in theunrolled configuration.

FIG. 15 is a top perspective view of the stent spring, according toanother aspect of the present disclosure, wherein the stent springcomprises elastic wires.

FIG. 16 is a top perspective view of the stent spring of FIG. 15 furthercomprising a connecting band.

FIG. 17 is a top perspective view of another aspect of the stent springcomprising the elastic wires.

FIG. 18 is a top perspective view of another aspect of the stent springcomprising the elastic wires.

FIG. 19 is a top perspective view of the stent spring of FIG. 18.

FIG. 20 is a front view of the stent spring comprising a rubber coatingaccording to another aspect of the present disclosure.

FIG. 21 is a perspective view of the stent spring comprising the rubbercoating according to another aspect of the present disclosure.

FIG. 22 is a top perspective view of the stent spring of FIG. 20 withoutthe rubber coating.

FIG. 23 is a top perspective view of the stent spring in accordance toanother aspect of the present disclosure.

FIG. 24 is a top perspective of another aspect of the stent spring,according to another aspect of the present disclosure.

FIG. 25 is a top view of the stent spring retained in a compressed stentspring configuration by a compression mechanism.

FIG. 26 is a detail view of the stent spring of FIG. 25 retained in thecompressed stent spring configuration by the compression mechanism ofFIG. 25.

FIG. 27 is another detail view of the stent spring of FIG. 25 retainedin the compressed stent spring configuration by the compressionmechanism of FIG. 25.

FIG. 28 is a top perspective view of the stent spring comprising theelastic wires, according to another aspect of the present disclosure.

FIG. 29 is a detail view of the stent spring of FIG. 28.

FIG. 30 is a top perspective view of the stent spring of FIG. 18 furthercomprising the rubber coating.

FIG. 31 is a detail view of the stent spring of FIG. 30.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present disclosure can be understood more readily by reference tothe following detailed description, examples, drawings, and claims, andthe previous and following description. However, before the presentdevices, systems, and/or methods are disclosed and described, it is tobe understood that this disclosure is not limited to the specificdevices, systems, and/or methods disclosed unless otherwise specified,and, as such, can, of course, vary. It is also to be understood that theterminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particularaspects only and is not intended to be limiting.

The following description is provided as an enabling teaching of thepresent devices, systems, and/or methods in its best, currently knownaspect. To this end, those skilled in the relevant art will recognizeand appreciate that many changes can be made to the various aspects ofthe present devices, systems, and/or methods described herein, whilestill obtaining the beneficial results of the present disclosure. Itwill also be apparent that some of the desired benefits of the presentdisclosure can be obtained by selecting some of the features of thepresent disclosure without utilizing other features. Accordingly, thosewho work in the art will recognize that many modifications andadaptations to the present disclosure are possible and can even bedesirable in certain circumstances and are a part of the presentdisclosure. Thus, the following description is provided as illustrativeof the principles of the present disclosure and not in limitationthereof.

As used throughout, the singular forms “a,” “an” and “the” includeplural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Thus,for example, reference to “an element” can include two or more suchelements unless the context indicates otherwise.

Ranges can be expressed herein as from “about” one particular value,and/or to “about” another particular value. When such a range isexpressed, another aspect includes from the one particular value and/orto the other particular value. Similarly, when values are expressed asapproximations, by use of the antecedent “about,” it will be understoodthat the particular value forms another aspect. It will be furtherunderstood that the endpoints of each of the ranges are significant bothin relation to the other endpoint, and independently of the otherendpoint.

For purposes of the current disclosure, a material property or dimensionmeasuring about X or substantially X on a particular measurement scalemeasures within a range between X plus an industry-standard uppertolerance for the specified measurement and X minus an industry-standardlower tolerance for the specified measurement. Because tolerances canvary between different materials, processes and between differentmodels, the tolerance for a particular measurement of a particularcomponent can fall within a range of tolerances.

As used herein, the terms “optional” or “optionally” mean that thesubsequently described event or circumstance can or cannot occur, andthat the description includes instances where said event or circumstanceoccurs and instances where it does not.

The word “or” as used herein means any one member of a particular listand also includes any combination of members of that list. Further, oneshould note that conditional language, such as, among others, “can,”“could,” “might,” or “may,” unless specifically stated otherwise, orotherwise understood within the context as used, is generally intendedto convey that certain aspects include, while other aspects do notinclude, certain features, elements and/or steps. Thus, such conditionallanguage is not generally intended to imply that features, elementsand/or steps are in any way required for one or more particular aspectsor that one or more particular aspects necessarily include logic fordeciding, with or without user input or prompting, whether thesefeatures, elements and/or steps are included or are to be performed inany particular aspect.

Disclosed are components that can be used to perform the disclosedmethods and systems. These and other components are disclosed herein,and it is understood that when combinations, subsets, interactions,groups, etc. of these components are disclosed that while specificreference of each various individual and collective combinations andpermutation of these may not be explicitly disclosed, each isspecifically contemplated and described herein, for all methods andsystems. This applies to all aspects of this application including, butnot limited to, steps in disclosed methods. Thus, if there are a varietyof additional steps that can be performed it is understood that each ofthese additional steps can be performed with any specific aspect orcombination of aspects of the disclosed methods.

Disclosed in the present application is a stent for repairing a pipe,and associated methods, systems, devices, and various apparatus. Exampleaspects of the stent can be oriented in an expanded configuration and acompressed configuration. The stent can comprise a stent spring and aseal. Example aspects of the stent spring can define a tubular meshstructure comprising one or more strands. It would be understood by oneof skill in the art that the disclosed stent is described in but a fewexemplary aspects among many. No particular terminology or descriptionshould be considered limiting on the disclosure or the scope of anyclaims issuing therefrom.

FIG. 1A illustrates a first aspect of a stent 100 according to thepresent disclosure. As shown, the stent 100 can comprise a stent spring120 and a seal 170. Example aspects of the stent spring 120 can define aspring force and can be expandable and compressible, such that the stentspring 120 can be oriented in an expanded stent spring configuration, asshown in FIG. 1A, and a compressed stent spring configuration, as shownin FIG. 25. As such, the stent 100 itself can also be oriented in anexpanded configuration and a compressed configuration. According toexample aspects, the stent 100 can be expanded within a pipe (not shown)such that the seal 170 can engage an inner wall (not shown) of the pipewhere a crack or other damage is present, in order to create awatertight seal between the stent 100 and the inner wall of the pipe toprevent leaking at the damage site.

As shown in FIG. 1A, the stent spring 120 can bias the stent 100 to theexpanded configuration. In the depicted aspect, the stent spring 120 canbe formed as a substantially tubular mesh structure defining opposingopen ends (e.g. a top end 122 and a bottom end 124). The stent spring120 can further define an outer surface 126 (shown in FIG. 1B) and anopposite inner surface 128. The inner surface 128 can define a void 130.The void 130 can extend between the open top and bottom ends 122,124 ofthe stent spring 120, and can allow fluid to pass therethrough when thestent 100 is received in the pipe. A central axis 132 can extendsubstantially through a center of the void 130, as shown. According toexample aspects, the stent spring 120 can be formed from a springmaterial. For example, the stent spring 120 can comprise a metalmaterial, such as stainless steel, spring steel, aluminum, nitinol,cobalt chromium, or any other suitable material. In other aspects, thestent spring 120 can be formed from a plastic material, such as, forexample, nylon, POM (polyoxymethylene), or PVC (polyvinyl chloride). Instill another aspect, the stent spring 120 can be formed from a carbonfiber material. Optionally, the material can be an NSF certifiedmaterial that can comply with various public health safety standards.For example, in some aspects, the material can be approved as safe foruse in drinking-water applications. Moreover, in some aspects, the stentspring 120 can comprise a coating, such as, for example, a rubber orliquid metal coating. The coating can improve mechanical properties ofthe stent spring 120. For example, the coating can improve the tensilestrength of the stent spring 120 by providing a flexible and/or springyouter layer. In some aspects, the coating can also be corrosionresistant, or a separate coating can be applied for corrosionresistance. For example, a corrosion resistant coating can comprise azinc-nickel material, phosphate, electrophoretic paint (e-coating),polyester, fusion-bonded epoxy (FBE), or any other suitable corrosionresistant material.

Example aspects of the seal 170 can be formed as a continuous, tubularsleeve structure, as shown, and can define an outer surface 172 and aninner surface 174. In the present aspect, the outer surface 172 of theseal 170 can define a stent diameter Di of the stent 100. Exampleaspects of the seal 170 can comprise a flexible and compressiblematerial, such as, for example, neoprene. In other aspects, the seal 170can be formed from another synthetic rubber material such as EPDMrubber, natural rubber, foam, epoxy, silicone, a resin-soaked cloth, orany other suitable flexible material for providing a watertight sealbetween the stent 100 and the inner wall of the pipe. According toexample aspects, the seal 170 can wrap around a circumference of thestent spring 120, and the inner surface 174 of the seal 170 can engagethe outer surface 126 of the stent spring 120. In a particular aspect,the seal 170 can cover the entire outer surface 126 of the stent spring120, as shown. However, in other aspects, the seal 170 can cover only aportion of the outer surface 126 of the stent spring 120. In still otheraspects, the seal 170 may not wrap entirely around the circumference ofthe stent spring 120. In the present aspect, the seal 170 can fit snuglyon the stent spring 120. In some aspects, the seal 170 can be coupled tothe stent spring 120 by a fastener (not shown), such as, for example,stitching, adhesives, ties, or any other suitable fastener known in theart.

In the expanded configuration of the stent 100, as shown in FIG. 1A, thespring force of the stent spring 120 can bias the stent spring 120 andthe seal 170 radially outward relative to the central axis 132, suchthat each of the stent spring 120 and seal 170 can define relativelyconcentric tubular shapes, as shown. In the expanded configuration, thestent 100 can define its largest possible stent diameter Di. In someaspects, in the expanded configuration, the stent diameter Di can beslightly greater than an inner pipe diameter as defined by the innerwall of the pipe to aid in retaining the stent 100 against the innerwall.

In the compressed configuration, a compression force (i.e., a pushingforce, a pulling force, or any other suitable force) can be applied tothe stent 100 by a compression mechanism to bias the stent 100,including the stent spring 120 and the seal 170, to the compressedconfiguration. Various example aspects of such the compression mechanismare described through the present application, including, for example,an internal compression disc 2510 (shown in FIG. 25). The compressionforce can overcome the spring force, and the seal 170 and stent spring120 can compress or fold radially inward towards the void 130 to definea smaller stent diameter Di and a smaller overall stent volume than inthe expanded configuration. The reduced stent diameter Di and stentvolume in the compressed configuration can allow for easier insertion ofthe stent 100 into the pipe or a pipeline (not shown) and easiernavigation of the stent 100 through the pipe or pipeline. When thecompression force is removed or reduced to less than the spring force,the stent spring 120 can bias the stent 100 back to the expandedconfiguration.

FIG. 1B illustrates the stent spring 120 of FIG. 1A with the seal 170(shown in FIG. 1A) removed for full visibility of the of the stentspring 120. As shown, the tubular mesh structure of the stent spring 120can comprise one or more strands 140 arranged to define a plurality ofopenings 142 therebetween. In the present aspect, as shown, a pluralityof the openings 142 a can define a substantially circular shape, whileother openings 142 b can define a shape that is substantially that of apair of conjoined diamonds. In other aspects, the openings 142 candefine any other suitable shape(s), some examples of which are describedbelow. According to example aspects, the mesh structure of the stentspring 120 can be laser cut, chemically etched, or stamped from a sheetof material (e.g., a sheet of metal). In other aspects, the meshstructure of the stent spring 120 can be formed by stereolithography(e.g., 3D printing), or by any other suitable manufacturing methodsuitable for forming a mesh structure. In some example aspects, thestent spring 120 can be oriented in a rolled configuration for use, asshown, and an unrolled configuration, as shown in FIG. 4B. In exampleaspects, the stent spring 120 can be manufactured in the unrolledconfiguration, and rolled into the rolled configuration thereafter foruse. FIGS. 2 and 3 each illustrate an additional example aspect of thestent spring 120 in the rolled configuration. As shown in the aspect ofFIG. 2, some or all of the openings 142 can substantially define anM-shape. As shown in the aspect of FIG. 3, some of the openings 142 acan substantially define a diamond shape, and some other openings 142 bcan substantially define a series of conjoined diamond and half-diamondshapes.

FIG. 4A illustrates the stent spring 120 in the rolled configuration,according to another aspect of the present disclosure, and FIG. 4Billustrates the stent spring 120 of FIG. 4A in the unrolledconfiguration. As shown in FIG. 4A, some of the openings 142 a cansubstantially define a diamond shape, and some other openings 142 b cansubstantially define a conjoined series of diamond and partial-diamondshapes. As shown, in the unrolled configuration, the stent spring 120can be substantially flat and can define a first end 450 and an opposingsecond end 452. According to example aspects, the mesh structure of thestent spring 120 can be manufactured in the unrolled configuration, forexample, by laser cutting or sterolithography. The stent spring 120 canthen be rolled into the rolled configuration. To retain the stent spring120 in the rolled configuration, the first end 450 of the stent spring120 can be spot welded, riveted, or otherwise attached by any suitableattachment method, to the second end 452. In other aspects, the firstend 450 of the stent spring 120 can be attached to the second end 452 bya fastener, such as, for example, one or more nut and bolt assemblies,adhesives, clips, snaps, ties, or any other suitable fastener orcombination of fasteners know in the art. Furthermore, according toexample aspects, the rolled stent spring 120 (or in other aspects, theunrolled stent spring 120) can be heat treated to harden the stentspring 120. In one example aspect, the stent spring 120 can be hardenedto between about 40-45 HRC, for example and without limitationcircular.

FIG. 5A illustrates the stent spring 120 in the rolled configuration,according to another aspect of the present disclosure, and FIG. 5Billustrates the stent spring 120 of FIG. 5A in the unrolledconfiguration. Referring to FIG. 5A, in the present aspect, some of theopenings 142 a can substantially define a diamond shape, and some otheropenings 142 b can substantially define a pair of half-diamond shapesconnected by an elongated rectangular shape. FIG. 6A illustrates thestent spring 120 in the rolled configuration, according to yet anotheraspect of the present disclosure, and FIG. 6B illustrates the stentspring 120 of FIG. 6A in the unrolled configuration. Referring to FIG.6A, in the present aspect, some of the openings 142 a can substantiallydefine a diamond shape, and some other openings 142 b can substantiallydefine a series of diamond and half-diamond shapes. FIG. 7A illustratesstill another aspect of the stent spring 120 in the rolledconfiguration, and FIG. 7B illustrates the stent spring 120 of FIG. 7Ain the unrolled configuration. In the present aspect, the openings 142can substantially define an elongated hexagonal shape. FIG. 8Aillustrates the stent spring 120 in the rolled configuration, accordingto a further aspect of the present disclosure, and FIG. 8B illustratesthe stent spring 120 of FIG. 8A in the unrolled configuration. In thepresent aspect, the openings 142 can substantially define a chevronpattern.

FIG. 9A illustrates the stent spring 120 in the rolled configuration,according to yet another aspect of the present disclosure, and FIG. 9Billustrates the stent spring 120 of FIG. 9A in the unrolledconfiguration. In the present aspect, the openings 142 can substantiallydefine an elongated hexagonal shape. Furthermore, in the present aspect,the stent spring 120 can comprise a spring steel material. Exampleaspects can be coated with a rubber or liquid metal material,zinc-nickel material, phosphate, electrophoretic paint (e-coating),polyester, or fusion-bonded epoxy (FBE), as described above. In otheraspects, the stent spring 120 can comprise a stainless steel material,or any other suitable spring material. As shown, example aspects of thestent spring 120 can comprise one or more tabs 960, each defining a tabopening 962 therethrough. The tabs 960 can be bent inward towards thevoid 130 and the compression mechanism can engage the tabs 960 tocompress the stent spring 120 to the compressed stent springconfiguration. In a first example aspects, a cable (not shown), or otherfastening device, can pass through the tab opening 962 of each of thetabs 960 and can be tightened to contract the stent 100 (shown in FIG.1A) to the compressed configuration.

FIG. 10 illustrates still another aspect of the stent spring 120 therolled configuration. In the present aspect, the openings 142 cansubstantially define an elongated hexagonal shape. Furthermore, in thepresent aspect, the stent spring 120 can comprise a carbon fibermaterial. As shown, the stent spring 120 comprises the tabs 960extending radially inward towards the void 130. In the present aspect,the tabs 960 can be formed extending inward rather than having to bebent inwards, as may be required by the aspect of FIG. 9A. Each of thetabs 960 can define one of the tab openings 962 therethrough. Asdescribed above, in example aspects, a cable (not shown) can passthrough the tab opening 962 of each of the tabs 960 and can be tightenedto contract the stent 100 (shown in FIG. 1A) to the compressedconfiguration through tension in the cable. The cable can be cut torelease the tension force on the stent 100 and to allow the stent spring120 to return to the expanded stent spring configuration, thus biasingthe stent 100 to the expanded configuration. In other aspects, the stent100 can be compressed by another compression or contraction mechanism,such as a compression sleeve or tube, a dissolvable wire, or any othersuitable mechanisms known in the art. In an aspect comprising adissolvable wire, the wire can be dissolved by electricity, chemicals,water, or any other suitable dissolving mechanism. In still anotheraspect, the compression mechanism can be a hose clamp. In some aspects,the hose clamp or other compression mechanism can comprise a worm drive.

FIG. 11 illustrates another example aspect of the stent spring 120 inthe rolled configuration. As shown, the present stent spring 120 cancomprise an inner stent spring 1122 aligned and connected with an outerstent spring 1124 to provide increased stiffness of the stent spring120, while maintaining flexibility of the stent spring 120. Each of theinner stent spring 1122 and outer stent spring 1124 of the presentaspect can be substantially similar in shape to the stent spring 120illustrated in FIG. 10; however, in other aspects, the inner and outerstent springs 1122,1124 can be differently shaped. In one exampleaspect, the inner and outer stent springs 1122,1124 can be formed fromcarbon fiber, and in another example aspect, the inner and outer stentsprings 1122,1124 can be formed from nylon. In other aspects, the innerand outer stent springs 1122,1124 can be formed from any suitablematerial, including but not limited to stainless steel, spring steel,aluminum, nitinol, cobalt chromium, POM (polyoxymethylene), and PVC(polyvinyl chloride). According to example aspects, the inner and outerstent springs can be joined together at a plurality of upper bends 1102and lower bends 1104 thereof, as shown.

FIGS. 12 and 13 illustrates an example aspect of the stent spring 120 inthe rolled configuration, wherein the tabs 960 are formed as hollowcylindrical structures 1262 each defining the tab opening 962 extendingtherethrough. In the present aspect, a coil spring 1220 can extendthrough the tab openings 962, as shown. The coil spring 1220 can definea coil spring force. In example aspects, like the stent spring 120, thecoil spring 1220 can be compressed in the compressed stent springconfiguration and can be expanded in the expanded stent springconfiguration. As described above, in the compressed stent springconfiguration, a compression force (e.g. a pushing force, tension orpulling force, or any other suitable force) can be applied to the stent100 (shown in FIG. 1A). The compression force can overcome the springforce of the stent spring 120 and the coil spring force of the coilspring 1220, and the stent spring 120, coil spring 1220, and seal 170(shown in FIG. 1A) can be compressed or folded radially inward towardsthe void 130. When compressed, the stent 100 can define a smaller stentdiameter D₁ (shown in FIG. 1A) and a smaller overall stent volume thanin the expanded configuration. When the compression force is removed orreduced to less than the spring force and coil spring force, both of thestent spring 120 and the coil spring 1220 can assist in biasing thestent 100 fully back to the expanded configuration. As such, ininstances where one of the stent spring 120 and coil spring 1220 may notbias the stent 100 fully back to the expanded configuration on its own,the other of the stent spring 120 and coil spring 1220 can assist infurther biasing the stent 100 towards the expanded configuration.Moreover, as shown in FIG. 13, example aspects of the stent spring 120can be formed from a Windform® material, such as, for example, aWindform® SP material. The Windform SP material is a carbon fiberreinforced composite polyamide material, which can be durable,insulating, and water resistant. FIG. 14 illustrates the stent spring120 of FIGS. 12 and 13 in the unrolled configuration.

FIGS. 15 and 16 illustrates an example aspect of the stent spring 120 inthe rolled configuration, according to another aspect of the presentdisclosure. The stent spring 120 can be similar to the stent spring 120illustrated FIG. 10. However, as shown, the stent spring 120 of thepresent aspect can further comprise a wire or wires 1510 connected toone or more of the strands 140 of the stent spring 120. In one exampleaspect, the wires 1510 can be a plurality of Nitinol super-elastic wires1512, which can be configured to provide added flexibility to the stentspring 120. In example aspects, each of the Nitinol super-elastic wires1512 can define a first end 1514, a second end 1516, and a middlesection 1517 extending therebetween. The first end 1514 can be receivedwithin a first groove (not shown) formed within a corresponding firststrand 140 a, and the second end 1516 can be received within a secondgroove (not shown) of an adjacent second strand 140 b.

As shown in FIG. 16, in some aspects, the compression mechanism can be aconnecting band 1610. The connecting band 1610 can engage each of thetabs 960 of the stent spring 120 to retain the stent spring 120 in thecompressed stent spring configuration while the wires 1510 are assembledwith the stent spring 120. Furthermore, in the present aspect, themiddle section 1517 of each wire 1510 can be substantially exposed.However, in other aspects, the wires 1510 can be more fully receivedwithin the strands 140 of the stent spring 120, such that a lesserportion of the middle section 1517 is exposed, as depicted in FIG. 17,and in still other aspects, the wires 1510 can be completely receivedwithin the strands 140. FIGS. 18 and 19 illustrates another aspect,wherein each of the wires 1510 can be positioned on an inner periphery1810 of the stent spring 120 proximate to an upper bend 1812 or lowerbend 1814 thereof. In one aspect, the wires 1510 can be connected to thestent spring 120 by an adhesive, or other fastener, and the first andsecond ends 1514,1516 of the wires 1510 do not extend into the strands140. However, in other aspects, the first and second ends 1514,1516 ofeach of the wires 1510 can engage the first and second grooves (notshown) formed in a corresponding strand 140 to connect the wire 1510 tothe stent spring 120.

Example aspects of the stent spring 120 can comprise a coating, such as,for example, a rubber coating. For example, as shown in the aspect ofFIG. 20, the stent spring 120 can be coated in a Plasti Dip® coating. APlasti Dip® coating is a synthetic rubber coating that can be applied byspraying, brushing, dipping, or the like, and which can be configured toair dry. The Plasti Dip® material can be non-slip, flexible, durable,and insulating material in some aspects. In another example aspect, asshown in FIG. 21, the stent spring 120 can be coated in a Flex Seal®coating. The Flex Seal® coating is a synthetic rubber coating similar tothe Plasti Dip® coating. The Flex Seal® coating can be applied bypouring, rolling, dippy, spraying, or the like, and can be durable,flexible, insulating, and water resistant. In other aspects, the coatingcan be any other suitable coating known in the art. Example aspects ofthe coating can be flexible and can improve the flexibility of the stentspring 120. In some example aspects, the coating can also be a non-slipcoating that can improve the grip of the stent spring 120 on the seal170 (shown in FIG. 1A), the pipe (not shown), or any other componentengaged by the stent spring 120. FIG. 22 illustrates the stent spring120 of FIG. 20 without the Plasti Dip® coating applied.

FIG. 23 illustrates another example aspect of the stent spring 120 thatcan be substantially similar to the stent spring 120 of FIG. 9A.However, in the present aspect, as shown, the tabs 960 can define largertab openings 962 than the tab openings 962 shown in FIG. 9A. The largertab openings 962 can accommodate for a larger or different compressionmechanism for compressing the stent 100 (shown in FIG. 1A). FIG. 24illustrates still another example aspect of the stent spring 120,wherein the strands 140 of the stent spring 120 can be a plurality ofconnected, substantially circular, resilient and flexible strands 2440,as shown. The flexibility of the strands 140 can allow the stent spring120 to be compressed to the compressed stent spring configuration, andthe resiliency of the strands 140 can bias the stent spring 120 from thecompressed stent spring configuration to the expanded stent springconfiguration.

According to example aspects, the stent spring 120 can be compressed bythe compression mechanism, as described above. For example, in aparticular aspect, the compression mechanism can be an internalcompression disc 2510 as illustrated in FIG. 25. According to exampleaspects, the compression disc 2510 can engage each of the tabs 960 ofthe stent spring 120 to pull the stent spring 120 radially inward and toretain the stent spring 120 in the compressed stent springconfiguration. In the present aspect, the compression disc 2510 cancomprise an upper disc 2512 and a lower disc 2712 (shown in FIG. 27)connected to the upper disc 2512. Disc openings 2514 can be formed ineach of the upper and lower discs 2512,2712 to allow for fluid flowtherethrough. Furthermore, one or more disc slots 2516 can be formed atan outer side edge 2518 of the compression disc 2510.

Referring to FIGS. 26 and 27, the compression disc 2510 can furthercomprise a plurality of connectors 2620 generally received between theupper disc 2512 and lower disc 2712 and proximate to the outer side edge2518 of the compression disc 2510. A head 2622 of each of the connectors2620 can be configured to extend into a corresponding one of the discslots 2516. To mount the stent spring 120 to the compression disc 2510in the compressed stent spring configuration, an inner end 2662 of eachof the tabs 960 can be pushed past the head 2622 of the correspondingconnector 2620 and into the corresponding disc slot 2516, such that thehead 2622 of each connector 2620 extends through the tab opening 962(shown in FIG. 9A) of the corresponding tab 960. To move the stentspring 120 to the expanded stent spring configuration, the compressiondisc 2510 can be slid axially relative to the central axis 132 (shown inFIG. 1A). The tabs 960 of the stent spring 120 can be pushed past theheads 2622 of the corresponding connectors 2620, such that each of theconnectors 2620 can be disengaged from the corresponding tab opening962, and the compression disc 2510 can be disengaged from the stentspring 120. With the compression disc 2510 disengaged from the stentspring 120, the spring force of the stent spring 120 can bias the stent100 (shown in FIG. 1A) to the expanded configuration.

FIGS. 28 and 29 illustrate another aspect of the stent spring 120comprising the wires 1510 (e.g., the Nitinol super-elastic wires 1512).The stent spring 120 of the present aspect can be similar to the stentspring 120 of FIG. 17, wherein the first end 1514 of each wire 1510 canbe received through the first groove (not shown) formed within one ofthe strands 140, and the second end 1516 of each wire 1510 can bereceived within the second groove (not shown) formed in the same strand140. Each wire 1510 can be oriented proximate to one of the upper bends1812 or lower bends 1814 of the stent spring 120, as shown. In thepresent aspect, the first and second ends 1514,1516 of each of the wires1510 can pass through the corresponding first and second grooves,respectively, and can abut the inner periphery 1810 of the stent spring120 proximate to the corresponding upper or lower bend 1812,1814, asshown. The middle section 1517 can be exposed.

FIGS. 30 and 31 illustrate the stent spring 120 of FIGS. 18 and 19dipped in the rubber coating, such as, for example, the Plasti Dip®coating or the Flex Seal® coating, as described above with reference toFIGS. 20, 21, and 22.

One should note that conditional language, such as, among others, “can,”“could,” “might,” or “may,” unless specifically stated otherwise, orotherwise understood within the context as used, is generally intendedto convey that certain embodiments include, while other embodiments donot include, certain features, elements and/or steps. Thus, suchconditional language is not generally intended to imply that features,elements and/or steps are in any way required for one or more particularembodiments or that one or more particular embodiments necessarilyinclude logic for deciding, with or without user input or prompting,whether these features, elements and/or steps are included or are to beperformed in any particular embodiment.

It should be emphasized that the above-described embodiments are merelypossible examples of implementations, merely set forth for a clearunderstanding of the principles of the present disclosure. Any processdescriptions or blocks in flow diagrams should be understood asrepresenting modules, segments, or portions of code which include one ormore executable instructions for implementing specific logical functionsor steps in the process, and alternate implementations are included inwhich functions may not be included or executed at all, may be executedout of order from that shown or discussed, including substantiallyconcurrently or in reverse order, depending on the functionalityinvolved, as would be understood by those reasonably skilled in the artof the present disclosure. Many variations and modifications may be madeto the above-described embodiment(s) without departing substantiallyfrom the spirit and principles of the present disclosure. Further, thescope of the present disclosure is intended to cover any and allcombinations and sub-combinations of all elements, features, and aspectsdiscussed above. All such modifications and variations are intended tobe included herein within the scope of the present disclosure, and allpossible claims to individual aspects or combinations of elements orsteps are intended to be supported by the present disclosure.

That which is claimed is:
 1. A stent spring for repairing a pipecomprising: a substantially tubular mesh structure defining a void, thevoid defining a central axis, the mesh structure comprising one or morestrands, the one or more strands defining a plurality of openings,wherein the stent spring is configurable in an expanded stent springconfiguration and a compressed stent spring configuration; and a tabextending radially inward from the mesh structure into the void, the tabdefining a tab opening.
 2. The stent spring of claim 1, furthercomprising a compression mechanism configured to engage the tab to biasthe stent spring to the compressed stent spring configuration.
 3. Thestent spring of claim 2, wherein the compression mechanism comprises acable configured to extend through the tab opening of the tab.
 4. Thestent spring of claim 2, wherein the compression mechanism comprises: acompression disc, the compression disc defining a disc slot formed in anouter side edge of the compression disc; and a connector comprising ahead, the head extending into the disc slot.
 5. The stent spring ofclaim 4, wherein the tab extends into the disc slot, and the headextends through the tab opening.
 6. The stent spring of claim 1, furthercomprising one or more elastic wires connected to the one or morestrands, the one or more elastic wires configured to increase aflexibility of the stent spring.
 7. The stent spring of claim 1, furthercomprising a coil spring extending through the tab opening, the coilspring configured to assist in biasing the stent spring to the expandedstent spring configuration.
 8. The stent spring of claim 1, furthercomprising a flexible coating on the one or more strands, the flexiblecoating comprising a synthetic rubber material.
 9. The stent spring ofclaim 1, wherein: the stent spring comprises an inner stent springconnected to an outer stent spring; the inner stent spring comprises themesh structure and the tab; and the outer stent spring is configured toincrease a stiffness of the inner stent spring.
 10. A stent spring forrepairing a pipe comprising: a substantially tubular mesh structurecomprising one or more strands, the one or more strands comprising aspring material, wherein the stent spring is expandable and compressiblebetween an expanded stent spring configuration and a compressed stentspring configuration; and an elastic wire connected to the one or morestrands, the elastic wire configured to increase a flexibility of thestent spring.
 11. The stent spring of claim 10, wherein; the elasticwire defines a first end and a second end; the first end of the elasticwire engages a first one of the strands; and the second end of theelastic wire engages a second one of the strands.
 12. The stent springof claim 11, wherein: the first one of the strands defines a firstgroove; the second one of the strands defines a second groove; the firstend is received within the first groove; and the second end is receivedwithin the second groove.
 13. The stent spring of claim 11, wherein theelastic wire defines a middle section between the first end and secondend, and at least a portion of the middle section is exposed.
 14. Thestent spring of claim 10, wherein the elastic wire is positioned on aninner periphery of the stent spring.
 15. The stent spring of claim 14,wherein: the one or more strands define at least one of an upper bendand a lower bend; and the elastic wire is positioned proximate to the atleast one of an upper bend and a lower bend.
 16. The stent spring ofclaim 10, wherein: a first end of the elastic wire extends through afirst groove of the mesh structure and abuts an inner periphery of thestent spring; a second end of the elastic wire extends through a secondgroove of the mesh structure and abuts an inner periphery of the stentspring; and a middle section of the elastic wire is exposed.
 17. Thestent spring of claim 10, wherein the one or more strands define aplurality of openings.
 18. The stent spring of claim 10, furthercomprising: a tab extending radially inward from the mesh structure; anda compression mechanism engaging the tab to retain the stent spring inthe compressed stent spring configuration.
 19. A method for retaining astent in a compressed configuration comprising: providing a stent, thestent comprising a stent spring, a seal, and a tab extending radiallyinward from the stent spring; biasing the stent to a compressedconfiguration; and engaging the tab with a compression mechanism toretain the stent in the compressed configuration.
 20. The method ofclaim 19, wherein engaging the tab with a compression mechanismcomprises: inserting the tab into a disc slot of the compressionmechanism; and engaging a tab opening of the tab with a connector of thecompression mechanism.